Road-engine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Wis. WOOTTON. ROAD ENGINE.

No. 375,307 Patent ed Dec. 20, 1887.

In: Mamas FEYERS ca. PHOTDJJYHO" mlsumamu. n. c.

(NoModeL) s Sheets-Sheet 3.

' W. S. WOOTTON.

ROAD ENGINE.

1%., 375.307. Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

m: uoruus Pzrsns co, PHumu1uQ. WASHINGYDN. n. c.

VVILLIAM S. \VOOTTON, OF SCOTTSBURG, ASSIGNOR TO J. Mi'CAlllll'NGllON, OF SOUTH BOSTON, VIRGINIA.

ROAD-ENGINE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,307, dated December 20, 1887.

Application filed April 15, 1887.

T aZZ whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. WooTToN, of Scottsbnrg, in Halifax county, in the State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Road-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and accurate description of the same.

Heretofore all road-engines made may be divided into two classesfirst, those with sup- [0 porting-wheels having hubs and axles running on they ground, and, second, those which lay a temporary track whereon the bearingwheels may run. To this second division I assign those road-engines which employ centerless I 5 wheels or rims next the ground and bearingwheels which rim on the inner peripheries of said wheels. My invention relates to this latter subdivision.

The advantage gained by the use of center- 26 less track-wheels is in the large diameter with absence of hub and spokes, so that the large diameter of the wheel is not, as with other wheels, an element of weakness; but heretofore, I believe, all road-engines, whether with centerless wheels or not, have been built with all the rigidity attainable; but I have built my engine with all the flexibility attainable, so that the passage of the machine over the undulations of surface on ordinary roads shall have the smallest possible effect to strain the parts of the machine. Everything can then be reduced in weight without diminishing strength.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 5 Figure 1 is a side elevation of my roadengiue. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the front truck. Fig. 4 isa longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section of the driving-gear. Figs. 6,7, 0 8 are details. Fig. 9 is a modification showing a double crank-shaft with one engine. Fig. 10 is a generic form offlexible sliaftconnection. V

A is the main frame, consisting of a rect- 5 angular-structure of suitable material properly joined and braced. For the purposes of a road-engine for the transportation of goods from place to place this frame may be from twenty to thirty feet in 1ength,'snpported at one end upon the driving-wheels and at the (No model.)

other end upontruck-whecls whose direction may be changed in order to steer the machine as it advances. The frame A is suitably trussed, being provided with tension-rods I) b for that purpose. I prefer to locate the motive engine G at the rear end with its fuel-box and tank for water, and reserve the forward end of the vehicle for the'reeeption of the matter to be trans ported.

D is one of the centcrless track rims or wheels. It rest-snpon the ground and constitutes, as it rolls along, the track for the rear bearingwhccl, E, mounted upon an axle, F, which extends across the machine.

The rim orwheel D, I proposeto make about 6 nine (9) feetin diameter. Itis constructed with an outer tire, g, and an inner cog rim or rack,

71, and to reduce weight an promote elasticity I propose to place between the tire and the cog-rim a filling of wood, 1'. The cog-rack 0 h is provided with a laterally-extended flange,

j, one on each side, to be traversed by steady rollers K K, which maintain the rim D in po sition. A pinion, L, has its shaft d mounted in boxes 6 on the plate M, andis supported by 7 5 attachment to the tension truss-rodsbb,wliicli pass from the front of the frameA to the rear of the same and beneath the truss-liar 0'. The plate M is made in two parts,with alongitudina-l joint and a central space for the rim or wheel I), said parts being rigidly boltcd'togethdr, inclosing said rim. The plate M is" provided with two boxes, is k, to receive short shafts I Z,which have at their ends the steady rollers K, which hold and traverse the rim- 3 flangesj.

The tension-rods b I) support the box-plate M with an elastic support,- but with sufficient rigidity to maintain the parts in proper engagement during all the varying strainsof 2.0-

tion.

It will be observed that the wheel or rim D derives its entire support from the box-plate M, and not from several points of attachment to the frame, and therefore there is no possi- 5 bility ofinterference or cramping by reason of unequal movements or .elastic springing or torsion of the main frame. The box-plate M is located below the horizontal plane of the axis of the wheel D, in or- I00 to apply the propulsive force as a vertical lift upon the rim of the wheel, and this would be most effectively accomplished by placing the pinion L in the horizontal plane of the axis of the wheel D; but this would increase the length of the curved thrust-bar to an arc of ninety degrees. I reduce this are to about forty-five degrees without greatly reducing the horizontal distance of the pinion from theaxis of the wheel D, but with a very material reduction in the length of the thrusting-arc of said wheel. These are the reasons for locating the driving-pinion L at the point shown.

A pinion of ordinary construction may be used for a driving-pinion; but the pinion L shown herein belongs to that class known as lantern-wheels, wherein the teeth or cogs are constituted by round rods secured at their ends in disks fastened to the shaft, thereby leaving a clear open space or cagein the interior, into. and through which mud or other obstructing matter may be forced, and thus avoid clogging the wheel. A loose sleeve is placed on each rod-tooth of the pinion to act as a friction-roller, and thus reduce frictional resistance as the pinion and rack roll together.

The box-plate'M is provided with one or more sockets to receive and secure] y hold the ends of the arms N N, which extend therefrom, separated by an angle of about fifty degrees, and carry at their extremities sockets for the spindles of the steady-rollers K K. The arms N N are each made of two pieces of wood ofproper length, securely bolted together' in the sockets of box-plate M at one end, andat the other end they are bolted in sockets of the plate P. This structure gives great lateral stiifness to the arm, while it permits suffieient elasticity in the direction of the plane of the wheel to make it easy in its action with the wheel. Being supported entirely by the arms N N, which are both attached to the plate M, and through that receive their onlya'ttachment to the frame, the wheel D is practically independent of the frame and its oscillations as it moves over the undulations of thef road. At the extremity of the arm N, on each side, there is a longitudinal socket-bearing, m, to receive a spindle of one of the steady-rollers K, which thereby have liberty to ,approach or reccde from the center of the wheel, said spindles slipping cndwise in the sockets m.

The propellingpower is derived from a steam-generator, (3, which supplies steam to one or two small engines, 0, which are connected with the crank-shaft S in the usual way. The crank-shaft may be driven with one engine, if desired, one being suiiieient for mere propulsion; but in turning, the machine will be far more manageable if one of the wheels D can be at rest while the other drives forward. The machine will then pivot on the stationary wheel. To accomplish this with one engine the crank-shaft thereof must be connected with the two pinion -shafl's d d by means of separate gearing, either set of which may be arrested or thrown out of connection at will. I think it preferable, however, to divide the shaft Sat its middle and employ two engines of smaller size, because when their cranks are set quartering there will be no possibility of stopping on the dead-center. The two parts of the crank-shaft S may be provided with a clutch-coupling, 0, whereby, at will, they may be coupled or liberated from each other, as desired.

It is necessary to provide an elastic or flexible coupling between the crank-shaft and pinionshaft, because there is a constant liability that a variation in level will occur while passing over inequalities in the road as, for instance, when the wheel rises over a stone the pinion-shaft will thereby be raised above the line of the crankshaft, and immediately after the pinion-shaft has regained its position the crank-shaft will sink below the line of the pinion-shaft. Such oscillations will always be violent, because sudden, and will soon pull the machine to pieces if not provided against.

Slipjoints are not adapted, because the required slip is always vertical and the moment when slip is necessary the joint is liable to be horizontal. Universal joints, so called, are not adapted, because the same transverse slip must be provided for or the shaft must be made telescopic .and two joints inserted. I avoid these difficulties by a link connection, generically shown in Fig. 10, S being the crank-shaft and (I being the pinion shaft, each being provided with an arm, a. a, respectively, or their equivalents, set at a greater or less angle to each other, not exceeding ninety degrees, and their extremities connected by a link, I). This link, being flexibly connected at each'end to the arms of a respectively, will permit a change of level in either of said shafts withoutdisturbance.

An engine maybe competent to maintain motion in aloaded carriage without being able to startthe same from a state of rest, and for this reason it is necessary sometimes to provide means for applying the propulsive force gradually. This is well understood in railroad transportation, the coupling of freighttrains being necessarily left loose, so that the cars are set in motion one at a time. There fore in my road-engines, which are designed to load to the full capacity of the engine, I substitute a volute spring, T, for the link b, one end being attached to a drum, k, on the pinion-shaft d, (said-drum being equivalent to the arm and 'the other end is attached to a part, t, on the shaft S, (said part it being equivabe gradually wound upon the'drum k, and. as gradually will apply the propulsive force to start the machine. Finally, if the power required to propel the machine exceeds the. re-

siliency of thespring it will be wound tightly upon the .drum, and will draw in a straight line from the surface of the outer coil to the point of attachment with the flange t, and that part of the spring will then act as a drag-rod, but will at' all times permit free flexibility between the crankshaft S and the pinion-shaft d. The axle F of the bearing-wheels E is provided with springs V, as usual, to relieve shock as the machine passes over inequalities in the road. I

To protect the gear h and wheel E from obstruction by mud, I place the mud shields or aprons W on each side of thewheel 'D at the bottom. Said aprons are crescent shaped plates having the outer or convex edge flanged overor provided with an L-shaped'edge flange to enter into the groove exterior to the flange j, wherethe edge of the apron-flange mayfit so closelyto the wheel as to'.practically ex- Edge packing may] be employed to make such exclusion more elude mud and water.

complege, if desired. 'The mud shields W are sus ended from the horizontal arms N, which will ,be' substantially constant-in its position as to the rim-wheel I). Said plates may alsobe tied together by bolts Z'- and also squeezed upon the wheel D to the desired degree. Y

The front end of the machine is supported upon two truck-wheels, n a, mounted as usual, with a hing-bolt connection with the bolsterframe, so that the truck may'rotate to change the direction of said wheels and make them leading-wheels, with which to steer the machine. leading-truck, the lower part of the fifth-wheel is provided with sprockets, and a sprocketpinion, p, is mounted on the'frame'A, with a sprocket-chain, q, whereby the revolution of the sprocket-pinion will revolveand control the fifth wheel and leading-truck.. The pinion 1) is provided with a shaft and hand-wheel,

and may be provided with a ratchet and pawl or other convenient means for locking in position,'as it will sometimes be convenient to do; but a worm-wheel, 1-, and a worm-screw,

s, on the hand-wheel shaftis a structure which gives a powerful control and retains the parts inposition as left.

The lower part of the fifth-wheel is provided with two upwardly-projecting lugs, to n, which may, if desired, be provided with .friction rollers, and at each side the-frameA is provided witha bufi'eIyTv, the purpose being toalford a rest for the frame when the wheels at n For the purpose of controlling the are swung .far around, as in turning a short corner.

The brakes are applied to the front or truck wheels, because that is thought to be prefererable; but they can be applied to the rim D or to the bearing-wheels E, if desired.

The brake-shoes b are attached to swinging frames (1', and in order to balance the pressure I put one set of, said shoes'in front and an: other set behind, and operate them both at once by winding the brake-chain around the shaft 6 of the brake-wheel f.

' In the drawings I have shown the steering and brake gear located at the extremefront end of the machine; bnt'it will not require invention to change the location of them to the rear end of the machine, where they can be manipulated by the engineer.

It often happens that a road-engine can be profitably employed as a stationary source of power, and to so employ my engine the springs T may be detached from the parts it, and the machine being anchored, the wheels U may be used as band-wheels from which to transmit motion and power to machinery near by.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a road-engine, the centerless trackwheel D, provided with an internal cog-rim, h, and a track-flange on each side thereof, combined with the bearing-wheel E, attached to the engine frame and traveling on said track-flanges, and'the boxplate M, attached also to said frame and provided with the arms N, and steady-rollers K at the extremities thereof, and the pinion c, with its shaft d mounted in boxes on said box-plate, as set forth. I

. 2. In a road-engine, the truss-rods b b, and the box-plate M, mounted thereon and provided with bearing-boxes for the pinion-shafts d, and sockets for the steady-arms N, combi'ncd with the pinion 6, having its shaft in said boxes, the centerless wheel or rim D, provided with a cog-rim, h, in engagement with said pinion and its bearing-wheel E, substantially as set forth, whereby the centerless rim is firmly yet elastically supported. I

3. In a road-engine, the centerless rim 1), provided with the lateral flanges j, combined with -the box-plate M, attached to the frame, the two arms N, each attached at one end to said box-plate and having at the other end sockets m m, and the steady-rollers K, in. en

gagement with said flanges, substantially as set forth.

4. Ina road-engine, a main frame, a; steammotor and transverse crank-shaft mounted thereon, combined with a centerless trackwheel having an internal cog-rim, a pinion in engagement therewith, and a flexible connection between the shaft at said piiiion and said driving-shaft to avoid cramping in passing undulations of the road.

5. In a road-engine, asteam-motor and crank-shaft mounted on the main frame and having at its end awheel provided with a flange, t, combined'with a pinion-shaft, (Z, having a drum or hub, 70, and a fiat spiral spring, T, one end fastened to said flange t and the other end fastened'to said drum 7.", to consti tnte a flexible connection between said crankflanges j, and the hearing-wheel-E, combined IO with the mud-shields W W, having the outer edges flanged to enter under the lateral tracktlnngesj, to exclude mud, as set forth.

W. S. WOOTTON.

shaft and pinion-shaft. I I Witnesses:

6. In a road-engine, the centerless traek- R. D. 0. SMITH, wheel D, having the internal cog-rim i1, and J. B. MCGIN. 

